Rilke Schule German Charter School of Arts and Sciences

8427 Lake Otis Pkwy, Anchorage, AK 99507, United States. It is within the Anchorage School District. The school serves students from Kindergarten through 8th grade. It is located in eastern Anchorage near Lake Otis Parkway.

Kindergarten through 8th grade (K-8).

tuition-free K-8 charter school within the Anchorage School District

Germany (official recognition and financial support from the German government).

German language immersion for half of the school day.

Application fees
- Rilke Schule uses the Anchorage School District online lottery for admissions; there is no separate Rilke Schule application form or separate school-level application fee.

Tuition fees (by school year / year group)
- K–8 tuition: There is no tuition charged to students who reside within the Anchorage School District; Rilke Schule is a tuition‑free K–8 charter school. (Tuition = USD 0 per year for all K–8 grades.)
- Annual school fees (applies schoolwide): Activity Fee — USD 125 (annual). Supply Fee — USD 100 (annual). These fees are charged per student to cover field trips, guest speakers, buses, special class activities, and classroom/school supplies. The activity and supply fees are collected annually (see Billing schedule).
- School meal costs (district rates, by grade level):
- Elementary students: Breakfast USD 4.50; Lunch USD 6.25.
- Middle school students: Breakfast USD 4.75; Lunch USD 6.75.
- (High school rates are higher but Rilke serves K–8.) These meal prices are set by the Anchorage School District nutrition service and apply when students purchase school meals.
- Middle‑school activity/sports participation fees (district policy applied to ASD schools including charters): Middle school ASD‑sponsored sport fee is set per sport (example district reference: USD 110 per sport) and the district maintains caps and waiver rules for activity fees; specific sport fees and caps are collected at team registration. If your child participates in district‑sponsored activities, expect separate per‑activity fees in addition to the annual activity/supply fees.

Billing schedule and payment terms
- Activity and supply fees: Can be paid beginning in August and may be paid at any time during the school year; families are asked to pay in the first semester when possible so the school can plan for materials and activities. Payments are collected per student and are annual amounts (Activity USD 125; Supply USD 100).
- Sports/activity fees: Collected at the start of each activity/season according to district scheduling and eligibility procedures; deadlines and refund eligibility follow district activity rules.
- Meal payments: Meal charges are posted at point of sale and billed according to student meal-account practices; accounts may be funded in advance. Cash is accepted for cafeteria transactions; district meal account options and account funding procedures are available through the district nutrition service.

Boarding fees (if applicable)
- Not applicable. Rilke Schule is a K–8 day charter school; there is no boarding program and therefore no boarding fees.

Other costs or fees (examples parents should expect)
- Personal school supplies and consumables: Students remain responsible for personal items not covered by the supply fee (backpacks, binders, notebooks, pencils, lunch packs, water bottles, gym shoes, art shirts, and other personal items that travel between home and school).
- Dress code / logo wear: Rilke does not require a full uniform; official logo t‑shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies are allowed but there is no mandatory uniform purchase. A used‑clothing exchange is run periodically; prices at that exchange (used clothing sale) are nominal (examples: USD 1 for tops, USD 2 for pants/shorts/skirts, USD 3 for dresses/sweaters/jackets/shoes). Families may choose (but are not required) to purchase logo wear.
- Field trips and special activities: The annual activity fee is intended to cover many field trips and buses, but some special or optional trips, overnight travel, or external program costs may require additional parent payments or fundraising; district travel and trip cancellation policies apply.
- Health/participation requirements for activities: Students who participate in interscholastic athletics are required to have a current sports physical; obtaining that physical is a family expense.

Refund information
- Tuition: Not applicable (no tuition is charged).
- Activity/supply fees: Standard practice is to address payment and refund inquiries through the school's payment office; refunds or credits for fees are handled under district and school procedures. For district‑sponsored activities, activity fees are refundable in specified circumstances (for example, if a student is not selected for a team) and refund requests typically must be made promptly according to district activity rules. Travel cancellations for safety reasons may be handled under district travel policy and in some cases the district may not be able to refund monies contributed for travel. Contact the school activity office or payment desk for specific refund processing.

Fee payment options
- Activity and supply fees: Online payment by credit/debit card is supported via the student's ParentConnection (Q) account (use the Student's Q login to pay with a credit/debit card). Families may also coordinate payments through the school office.
- School meals: Cash is accepted at the point of sale; cafeteria meal accounts may be funded and used for purchases. The district offers account options that can be funded with cash or check and used across ASD cafeterias.
- District activity fees and other payments: District procedures generally allow online payments via the Q/ParentConnection system and schoolfront‑office processing; specific payment channels for sports, trips, or special programs follow district and school instructions at registration.

Summary (concise)
- No tuition for K–8 students (tuition‑free charter school). Annual mandatory fees for school operations are limited to the Activity Fee (USD 125) and Supply Fee (USD 100) per student; additional costs may include meal purchases, per‑activity sports fees, personal supplies, optional trip costs, and the cost of required sports physicals. Payments for activity/supply fees are accepted online by credit/debit card through the ParentConnection (Q) system and meal accounts/cash are accepted for cafeteria purchases.